And just like that, the Baltimore School for the Arts’ (BSA) dance department is back at it again in preparation for this year’s production of The Nutcracker: A Magical Tale in Mount Vernon. Just a few weeks ago, the dancers welcomed back choreographer Amy Hall Garner to hold casting auditions.

Auditions for the show were earlier than usual this year, and dancers started working on audition material right away during the first week of school. Senior dancer Assata Ebron (‘26) recalled back to her freshman year and her experience auditioning for The Nutcracker.

“I remember having auditions in early October, and Ms. Amy was still here in late October trying to figure out casting.” She pointed out the efficiency of the audition process this year, having auditions in early September and releasing the cast list just a week later.

Former TWIG and freshman dancer Anslee Walters (‘29) narrated what it was like inside the audition room: “We introduced ourselves to Ms. Amy, and then we completed choreography for each role that we previously learned. There were a lot of people, and it took a while to get through everyone since we went in small groups of three or four.”

Walters also highlighted differences in auditioning for The Nutcracker as a TWIG in comparison to this year as a freshman. She stated, “Even as an older TWIG, there are only one or two roles you could get. There were more opportunities this year, but there was also more competition.”

Similar to Walters’ experience auditioning for more roles this year, being an upperclassman in the dance department means greater opportunities within productions. Junior dancer Gwen Dalsimer (‘27) described her experience with it being her first audition as an upperclassman.

“We could audition for more roles, so that meant we had a lot more to memorize. I had never learned Snow before, and we could also audition for all the big roles: the Sugar Plum Fairy, Red Rose, and Snow Princess. We learned almost the entire show—which was a lot—but it was also really fun,” Dalsimer explained.

It’s no secret that Nutcracker season is a grueling time for students here at BSA. There is so much that goes on behind the curtain; rigorous rehearsals, costume fittings, and stage design all contribute to the seamless performances put on by the school each year.

However, the whirlwind of the season begins even before these tireless rehearsals. The excitement and tension of The Nutcracker begins with the start of the casting process.

Dalsimer described the energy of the dance department during this year’s audition week: “It was very tense, but it wasn’t bad tension. I think everyone just realized that they had a job to do and they had to lock in.”

She also shared her experience auditioning for the lead role of the Sugar Plum Fairy. She stated, “I’m in level C1, and our level usually doesn’t audition for Sugar. We ended up having to learn the choreography the day before auditions, because Ms. Amy decided she wanted to see everyone audition for the role. That was a little stressful.”

Although the audition process is physically and emotionally draining, it is one that is important to every dancer’s career, not just in high school.

Being able to work with Garner, a choreographer who has done extensive work in the dance world with companies such as New York City Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, provides students with the experience of being in an actual professional dance setting whether they choose to pursue it after high school or not.

Ebron expressed that working with Garner is an “extremely unique” aspect of BSA’s dance department. “Even if I do dance in college, it’s not going to be like collaborating with a guest artist in the way that BSA does it with The Nutcracker.”

After leaving behind the stress of the audition process, dancers are filled with anticipation as the performance season starts to begin. As it always is, this year’s production of The Nutcracker: A Magical Tale in Mount Vernon, will be a vibrant expression of the passion and effort of the students at BSA.

As we approach the month of December and the upcoming fourteen Nutcracker performances, prepare to see less and less of the dancers as they will disappear from the academic hallways and step into long rehearsals and blinding stage lights. Auditions were just the first act; the real show has only just begun.

To contact this writer, email Muse Newspaper at musebsa@bsfa.org.

Featured photo by Julia Marks for The Muse.